Posted by
Sarrah October Young
- Sunday, March 30, 2014
What began as a chance encounter during an essay assignment has turned into a full-blown reincarnation of what could possibly be the first female superhero. Move over Wonder Woman; Nelvana of the Northern Lights is back, and she's ready to kick some ass—in a nice Canadian way.
Hope Nicholson is no stranger to comics or superheroes. A self-proclaimed nerd, Nicholson is extremely passionate about Canada's Golden Age of Comics and has produced a documentary outlining the era. Aptly titled Lost Heroes, the doc features the history of Canadian superheroes and their creators. Among them is the legendary Adrian Dingle, the man behind Nelvana of the Northern Lights. She stumbled upon the female superhero while researching a paper for her BA program and, despite the lack of information around Nelvana, the character immediately resonated with her.
"I never actually had access to read any of her stories for the first few years after I heard about Nelvana," Nicholson explains. "It was more her history and place in history that fascinated me. The stories themselves are fairly good for their time, but it's really their failed potential that caught my attention."
When she decided to take a stab at collecting and reprinting the Nelvana comics, she did so with the blessing of the original copyright holders whom she'd had the opportunity to get to know while filming her documentary. They granted Nicholson and her partner, Rachel Richey, exclusive rights to reprint Nelvana. The two then put together a fantastic Kickstarter campaign (now closed) that not only provided the means to collect/scan the comics and reprint them but also allowed the partners to commission art pieces from local and internationally acclaimed artists for inclusion in the book.
So exactly how difficult is it to resurrect an almost forgotten Canadian female superhero? Nicholson and Richey have had to jump through a few hoops in order to procure the pages needed for reprinting. "In most cases, we've had to physically travel to private collections or ask for submissions," Nicholson says.
Only one private collector allowed us to take issues home to scan. We did have to skip the Library and Archives vast collection though, as their digitization procedures were either too expensive for our budget if we allowed them to do it, or not high-quality enough for our purposes if they allowed us to do it (photographs, no flash, from several feet away). There were a few collectors that turned us down or didn't get back to us, and in one case, regretfully informed us that they would have loved to help but had recently sold off their entire collection.
While a great many people were enthusiastic about the project, there were a few who had some doubts. Nicholson defends her decision to reprint an almost unknown superhero and understands why some people might not grasp why she would undertake this project. "There was some resistance to resurrecting the comics, mostly from people who were surprised to see that anyone would be interested in spending the time to do this."
Devoting time to source the long-forgotten comics was precisely what Nicholson and Richey did. Not all the comics were found, and Nicholson knew they would need to have an alternative in mind if they wanted to see the project through to completion.
I wasn't sure if I would be able to find every issue in decent shape, but had enough back-up plans that I felt it would be a worthwhile leap to make. In the end, there was one issue, #3 that I only found one copy of and it was too delicate to scan, but luckily a 1970s microfiche of this issue was in re-printable condition so I was able to make it work.
Hearing that Nelvana was going to be reprinted, some comic collectors worried that the cost of the rare issues would increase due to the attention drawn to the comics. Nicholson agrees. "It certainly did [raise the cost], with an issue of Nelvana recently selling for $14,000 dollars, when last year it was only 2,000 at most." Not bad for an Inuit demigoddess who has been under the radar for mainstream collectors for almost 75 years.
With Kickstarter backers to placate and an approximate release date of April 2014 for the book, how close is Nelvana to completion? Nicholson is clearly excited, and possibly a little relieved, to say, "We are DONE! I am so glad to officially say that. We are putting the book together and are aiming to submit it to the printers shortly. It should be in my hands in late April/early May when we will begin our mail-outs. The larger retailer release is planned in the fall if all goes according to plan."
Want to get your hands on a copy NOW? Grab yours at conventions, online through the official Nelvana website, and at select comic shops while quantities last. Check with your local retailer to make sure they didn't miss this!
What do you think about Nelvana's resurrection? Are there other long-forgotten titles would you like to see reprinted? Let us know in the comments below! Happy reading!
Posted by
Orion Petitclerc
- Saturday, March 29, 2014
Earlier today on Comic Book Resources, Dynamite Entertainment announced Cullen Bunn's involvement with writing a special issue #0 of its acclaimed The Shadow comic book series based on the popular pulp-era hero. The issue will explore Lamont Cranston/Kent Allard/Ying Ko's, a.k.a. the Shadow, secrets from his past as he confronts a secret society of evil magicians and meets the one and only Harry Houdini.
In an interview with CBR, Bunn mentions his personal connection with the Shadow through his father, who recently passed away, adding an extra special tone to the news. Dynamite CEO and publisher Nick Barrucci also expressed the company's excitement for working with Bunn, who has become a rising star in the industry.
As a fan of Bunn since his work with the late Venom series from Marvel and a budding fan of all things Shadow since recently rewatching the 1994 film with Alec Baldwin (one of my favorite superhero films from that era), I too am extremely excited about the news and look forward to Bunn's take on the Shadow and his interactions with one of the most recognizable names in magic.
Although there is no date yet for the book's publication, how excited are you guys and gals over this news? How bitter do you think the fruit from the weed of magical crime will be? THE SHADOW KNOWS! Drop a comment below about your favorite Shadow stories and geek out with me over the epically campy film.
Posted by
Anonymous
- Friday, March 28, 2014
Movie lovers and legend lovers: recently Titan Books contacted us about reviewing Noah, the novel adaptation of the new film about the legendary biblical story. Noah is the man credited with the re-initiation of human life and the saving of animal life during the great flood that destroyed almost all life on Earth. I'm happy to say it was definitely decent, as far as action and fiction goes, though it was hard for me to relate to. Presumably everyone sees the injustice in human existence, but it would be awfully hard to find sympathy for Noah's cause considering he hardly seems sane most of the time.
Probably more than anything else that stands out about the literary adaptation of the film is the fact that Noah seems to have a tainted idea of justice, unless you take the story of Abraham and Isaac into account. If most of you will remember, Abraham drags Isaac up the mountain intending to sacrifice him simply because the Lord requests it of him. Doing as the Lord tells him, he raises the sacrificial knife and is about to strike it down on Isaac when an angel grabs his arm and stays the knife. It was just a test. Noah's task in this movie and in the Bible, however, is not a test. Apparently, Noah will cause himself to witness anything to harden himself so he can watch his species die off. My issue with it was that there was no "God said…." His actions were strictly based on his interpretation of visions.
From the beginning, Noah seems to favor the four-legged beasts over humans—humans that eat meat, that is. It sort of draws on the idea that man was meant to be an herbivore, but that the nurturing of evil has caused them to crave meat, to explain a small percentage of the violence of man described in the Bible and the reason for the cleansing. He sets out to build an arc to save two of every animal species because of his visions, but with each step he takes, there is a new obstacle. It plays on the well-known name of Cain, giving a man in Cain's future line a bigger part than he played in the Bible. An interesting fact in my own Bible was that Tubal-Cain's proclaiming that if Cain was cursed for killing Abel, surely Tubal-Cain would be cursed tenfold. It adds a unique possibility to the movie: Tubal-Cain's antisocial personality and his survival of the flood. The bible doesn't strictly say that most of this didn't happen.
Interestingly enough, Methuselah's part in this film seems a bit more prominent than it is in the Bible itself. In the original story, his part is mentioned strictly as the next in the bloodline after Enoch, who begat Lamech, who then begat Noah. Depending on what other religious books you've studied, though, or other media interpretations, you might remember Methuselah playing a larger part, having a relationship with Enoch, ministering to the people with Noah to convince them to change their ways, etc. Enoch, Methuselah's father, was so absolutely pure that he simply was taken into Heaven, and in the movie, Methuselah is renowned as a great and legendary warrior—a protector of the fallen angels.
The problem with Methuselah is not the fictional, or possibly even true, account of his wars waged, but the fact that the angels on Earth even exist. Most interpretations of the bible account for giants and great warriors, which are both pointed out whether you consider Methuselah, Tubal-Cain, or both as great warriors. As a young man, I remember reading Genesis and studying it. It is, after all, along with the first few books of the Bible the least realistic and possibly the hardest to gain an understanding of. Some interpretations, though—and the way I grew up understanding it—was that angels took human wives, breeding and creating giants, whom tended to be massive, violent warriors with generally shifty, uncontrollable moods. That understanding led me to almost instantly reject the fantasy of giants being present during the creation of man, which is how the book's author wrote his fantasy interpretation. Personally, though, the story of Methuselah struck me as unique and fun.
Another inconsistency was with Noah's children's ages. The bible places them as already in their hundreds and two-hundreds, while the movie places them in their teens and lower. Aside from that, you won't find enough evidence in the Bible to discount everything that happens in the film. For all I know, it all happened.
The reason for my critique has been this: I recently read many articles with complaints about accuracy. I also read many articles concerning the banning of this film in certain countries. I wouldn't call it historically accurate (as the Bible tells it), but then again, neither would I call the Bible accurate. The news hype and hatred surrounding this film seems unwarranted. In fact, if it didn't so heavily take from a biblical story, I might say it makes a pretty good fantasy piece. In closing, I hate Noah as a person, but I enjoyed the Noah religious fantasy story and I thought it was quite brilliant. There's going to be plenty of action and there's going to be many questionable moments, but this twist from the everyday understanding of the interpretations makes for a definitely great film novelization. Tell me what you think downstairs.
Posted by
Unknown
- Thursday, March 27, 2014
Marvel writer Dan Slott has made it clear in various interviews and panels that he's a massive fan of the British television series Doctor Who. Although he's never worked on the show or the various lines of comics, it seems Slott has found an opportunity to use his love of the BBC series in his new series, Silver Surfer. Although the first issue is left with the lofty task of establishing a supporting cast as well as a direction for the wayward ex-herald of Galactus, it manages to keep things fun and ultimately creates a version of the Surfer we certainly haven't seen before.
The issue itself establishes quite a bit of story, though it doesn't progress far into the narrative. We spend half of the issue meeting Dawn Greenwood, a young woman who runs a bed-and-breakfast in Anchor Bay, the place where she grew up and what she calls the greatest place in the world. She opens the issue, wishing upon a star that we find out is actually the Silver Surfer—a bit of serendipity that's certain to come around later. During the rest of her segments, we follow Dawn as she deals with the whiny and kooky demands of tourists while her sister sends pictures of her globe trotting adventures. Just as Dawn begins to hint that she's developing a secret longing to leave Anchor Bay, she's teleported from her room to some sort of cage where we leave her for the issue.
Up in space, Slott quickly introduces us to a benevolent Silver Surfer who doesn't seem to be gaining much fulfillment from his endeavors. After saving a mini universe and losing its citizens in translation while they erect massive structures to their accidental messiah, the Surfer is approached by three cameras which beckon him to serve as champion of The Impericon, a place they reveal that has been kept secret from him over the years in fear he'd lead Galactus to it should he ever resume his heralding duties.
Once there, we're treated to a psychedelic wonderland complete with ski slopes built on massive sun flowers. While the layout and details are fun, the smooth story gives out to a steady flow of exposition here. The Surfer is ultimately tested and found worthy to serve as champion against the evil "Never Queen". However, things become more complex as citizens of The Impericon concede to
kidnapping the person who means the most to all of their champions to assure their assistance against the Never Queen. The powers-that-be then bring forward Dawn—someone, strangely enough, who the Surfer has never met before. (Cue LOST in white bold letters on a black back drop.)
Silver Surfer #1 is a complicated issue. Fans of Doctor Who will see clear homages to the series in just about every aspect of the story. I think it was my familiarity with that program and its unique tone that led me to both understand what Silver Surfer was going for while simultaneously be bored by it. This certainly came from no lack of quality; the characters and their motivations are fun and well established, but the story didn't really progress anything. Issue one mainly served to establish the world we're going to be playing in, which isn't a whole lot of bang for your buck at $3.99 an issue. What it did manage to do, however, was give the Silver Surfer a new direction and plant the seeds for a supporting cast that extends beyond people in giant purple helmets and people who've worked for people in giant purple helmets.
What did you think of Silver Surfer #1? Did it toe the line between originality and homage, or do you think it read like a Doctor Who fan fiction? Let us know in the comments section below!
Posted by
Jeff Penner
- Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Want to know what happened in nerd culture over the past few days? WEEK IN GEEK is your quick fix to catch up with the rest of the Fanboys and Fangirls out there.
MOVIES
Indiana Jones could be a serial.
My take: "Who's your favorite Indiana Jones?" is already a pretentious question to ask. Though I love the character, can he go on forever? I'm a fan of name-drops like Bradley Cooper, but Ford made Jones what he is and I don't see that changing.
Terminator 5 time-jumping?
My take: Arnie is working out to play the Terminator again so he can shoot footage taking place during T1, T2, and so on. It sounds like the movie is taking a Back to the Future II approach. I don't get why they can't just start from scratch. Does today's moviegoing audience need to see a 66-year-old Terminator or an 80-year-old Indiana Jones? Overall, I'm fine with reboots if they're done well.
Divergent #1 beats Muppets by almost $40 million.
My take: How easy are audiences to please these days? The Vampire Diaries and True Blood are both being powerhouse TV shows, which shows how little variety it takes to make fans happy. I am a fan of the Muppets and, no, I wasn't blown away by the first film. But to have such a large number of people go to "check something out" in high numbers—rather than support something more deserving—makes the old man in me frustrated. The Lego Movie still being in the top ten makes up for it, though. That was a fun film.
TELEVISION
Michael C. Hall as Daredevil?
My take: Fancast? Rumor? Most likely, but it certainly has people's eyebrows going up and their heads nodding while their vocal chords create and audible "huh…" Not a bad idea, and it would be great if the series chose the "fun" Waid version of DD. It would be nice to see Hall get the opportunity to play a role that's allowed to have some fun every now and again.
Gotham's proactive leakage.
My take: Fox's Gotham seems to come out with new images and plot points every other day. It feels like too much information, especially when it's handed to us rather than "scooped." Do we have a preference on how we get this information? Personally, I'm leaning more and more toward "just surprise me," but that goes against why I write on this site, I suppose!
24 returns on May 5.
My take: A new trailer reveals a similar plot and pace to the original series, which is good. Sutherland seems only to have aged about a day since we saw him last, which is good. This miniseries takes place over 12 hours instead of 24… which makes no sense. But that's fine. After the last few seasons of the show, I'm looking forward to giving them a chance to knock this out of the park.
COMIC BOOKS
"Spider-Verse" teaser poster.
My take: After Spider Island and Superior Spider-Man, are we ready for another Spidey event? I'm not. It's one of the few books I'm still subscribed to, plus I get the trades when they come out. I would be happy to get a good year of standalone stories, especially with Peter finally returning. Can we just enjoy it before things get crazy again?
Caliber Comics to return… so is print dead?
My take: At a time when comics sales are all over the map, do we have room for another company? Caliber started up in 1989 and closed in 2001. Though I see the industry gaining ground on independent writers and stories, I see another contender chiming in now to be too little, too late. That being said, I wish them luck.
TECHNOLOGY
German company creates "Doc Ock" arms.
My take: Back in the '60s, this design may have seemed revolutionary, but there's only so much a giant claw hand can do. However, this is a first try that's bound to be improved upon, so I think this is pretty awesome. I'm sure the intention wasn't to create (or emulate) a supervillain, but it's pretty cool for us to see this in real life and not as a movie prop.
Facebook buys Oculus VR.
My take: I don't get it. Unless Facebook is getting into porn? They say they want to innovate and that they see it as a new communication platform for schoolwork, entertainment, and even health (allowing you to "visit" your doctor from home). I just saw the VR going straight to Sony or Microsoft, and maybe that's Zuckerberg's plan? Cash in? Like he needs the money. I just can't imagine playing Candy Crush in VR, I guess.
Watch out for this segment each and every Wednesday. We'll see you next week!
Did we miss something? What are your thoughts on these topics? Leave us a comment below!
